The $15 Per Hour Challenge

Seems like more and more workers are clamoring for a “livable wage” in the area of $15 per hour. So far this experiment has mixed, but mostly negative reviews, depending on the spin.

A Google search for “how is the $15 minimum wage working” shows some results claiming it is a success, while others pan the concept.

Left leaning HuffPo claims it is working, while Money-CNN say the experiment has its’ doubts. Empire builder Jeff Bezo’s WaPo cites a “very credible” study that seems to lean toward the negative side.

One very quiet experiment by a major retailer involves an autonomous nighttime janitor that cleans the floors.

Meet “Wally”

Walmart has quietly begun testing an advanced, autonomous floor scrubber during overnight shifts in five stores near the company’s headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., a move that could free workers from hours of drudgery, but that has already raised alarm among some employees. As the U.S.’s largest private-sector employer, Walmart is watched carefully for any shifts it makes to its workplace.

 The machine resembles a traditional scrubber but comes equipped with similar technology used in self-driving cars: extensive cameras, sensors, algorithms and Lidar for navigational mapping. Think of it as a Roomba crossed with a Tesla. A human must first drive the device to train it on a path; it can then operate largely independently, including when a store is open to customers. If a person or object gets in its way, it momentarily pauses and adjusts course. LinkedIn

The age of automation could be coming soon to a store near you.

Beep. Beep.

#$15MinimumWage #Robots